Many data storage environments include large libraries in which data is stored on large numbers of media and accessed using robots and other electromagnetic components. For example, a large media storage library may have thousands of data media (e.g., data tapes) arranged in slots of magazines, and multiple media drives (e.g., tape drives) and/or other components for reading data from, and writing data to, the data media. When a library user logically accesses data stored on a data medium, a robot can be instructed to ride along rails and/or other support structure to physically visit the location (i.e., the magazine slot) of the invoked data medium, a mechanical hand of the robot can pick the data medium from its magazine slot, the robot can deliver the data medium to (and load the data medium in) a media drive, and the media drive can perform read and/or write operations as instructed by the user.
Performing operations involving the robotic assemblies can involve powering the robotic components and communicating instructions with those components. However, distribution of power and communications can be difficult, particularly in environments where the rails and/or other support structures can be long, where two or more robotic assemblies can share a rail, etc. In some conventional libraries, the movement of the robotic assemblies can be restricted by wire cable connections, or the like, used for providing power and/or communications. For example, cabling can limit the types and/or extents of movement available to the robotic assemblies. To avoid such cabling issues, certain robotic libraries have incorporated brush/wiper technology for distribution of power. For example, the rails can include fixed conductive strips, and the robotic assemblies can include brushes or wipers that contact the conductive strips. Power can be conducted from the conductive strips to the robotic assembly components through the brushes or wipers.
In few instances, such techniques have been used to provide communications to the robotic assemblies by modulating the power signal according to a data signal. However, because of brush/wiper limitations, such communications are typically limited. For example, while the robot is moving, the signal-to-noise ratio of communications received through brushes or wipers is typically so low as to render the communications effectively unusable; so that communications are typically restricted only to times when the robot is not moving.